The eternal flame - a story about obsession By Maria J.C. Wernhult trustno1@ebox.tninet.se Disclaimer: Some of the characters in this story don't belong to me. Hey, when does a fictional character start belonging to anyone anyway? Never, if you ask me, but 1013 productions and The Fox Network claim they "own" Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, and since they also "own" lawyers, let's indulge them... No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work, so I suggest you people at Fox just relax and keep counting the money you've already made from us, I'm sure there's enough to go round without suing anyone. Rating: NC-17/MSR/Casefile/Angst, this story is definetly not one for the kiddies, it contains language, explicit sex and violence. Please e-mail the author for comments, critique, missing parts or whatever you have on your mind. Archive where ever you see fit. Part One: Rituals November 20 1996, 5.35 p.m. Wednesday Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia I painted a picture of you Your soul was red and your mind was blue Destiny laid a light on my creation It had been an unusually strange day, even for someone so used to strange days as Dana Scully. She and agent Mulder had landed at Atlanta high-tech airport Hartsfield International at dawn and then traveled into the mountains by car all day. The dark, majestic mountains and vast forests of northern Georgia were a total contrast to the glittering skyscrapers of busy Atlanta. Maybe it was this contrast that made her feel weary, she thought. She glanced over at her partner, who had scarcely spoken two words together since they left Atlanta. "Mulder? Are you allright?", she asked in a soft voice. He looked back at her and smiled; "I was just about to ask you that same question." He looked genuinely concerned. She felt that familiar stab in the chest again. Don't, she thought, don't care about me. "Well... I have been feeling a little weird since we came up here, but I suppose its just a reaction to my body's trying to adjust to the high altitude air." Mulder smiled even more at her and shook his head lightly. Always the scientist, the doctor, the skeptic. It tended to get absurd at times. He trusted her intuition more than she did. And he too had felt the strangest feeling building up inside him all day. Like something was watching them. Waiting for them. Something evil. The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he reached over to turn up the heat. "Yes, please, I'm so damn cold", she said and wrapped her coat tighter around her. She was shivering, he could see it. He sighed loudly. This one was going to be rough. They reached Aintry late that afternoon. It was nothing, not even a village. Just a few boards nailed together in piles here and there. It looked like a ghost town out of a western movie. Mulder had a hard time believing it contained enough people to enable somebody to commit quadruple homicide, and yet that was what had happened. Somebody, or something, he reminded himself, had slaughtered four little girls here only two days ago. Actually, nobody knew exactly how they had died, since none of the bodies had been recovered. But a tobaccofarmer named Henley had found their heads stuck on poles on the bank of the river Chattahooche early Monday morning. One of the girls was his six-year-old daughter. The sight of his daughter's head on a pole had driven mr.Henley insane. Unfortunate for everyone, Mulder thought and immediately felt ashamed of his own cynicism. Mr. Henley was now a resident of the Georgia State Asylum. As Mulder and Scully walked from their car, a jeep pulled up from behind one of the board piles. It had the words County Sheriff written on its sides and made them both sigh with relief. Two men stepped out of the van. They were both in their mid-50's, with greyish hair and leathery brown faces. They looked very alike. As a matter of fact, they looked identical. Scully noticed how Mulder was staring at the men with fascination. "Twins", she leaned over to him and whispered. Mulder made a face at her in reply. "Hi y'all", one of the men said as they all reached out their hands towards eachother. "Welcome to Georgia", said the other as they shook hands. "I'm sheriff Mike Donell and this here is my brother and also my assistant Frank Donell. Agents Mulder and Scully of the FBI I presume?" He looked at Scully as he said this, she could feel his eyes moving over her body. He wasn't bad looking for a man his age, and Scully kind of enjoyed the admiration in his eyes. "Yes, well your presumption is justified on that point", Mulder said sharply. He didn't enjoy the way the sheriff looked at Scully at all. Christ, the guys gotta be twice her age! He didn't really think she'd respond, did he? On the other hand...she didn't seem to mind either. Mulder felt the jealousy washing over him like a tidalwave, making him grind his teeth and clench his fists without even noticing he was doing it. However, Mike and Frank Donell seemed to notice, because they looked at each other and proceeded ahead of Scully and Mulder towards the only building in town that wasn't wooden. The concrete building turned out to be a town hall of sorts. It was really one large room filled with chairs in long rows. Could be some kind of church, only... Mulder felt that chill once more, and he looked over at Scully. Her face was ash gray now, the mockish girl look from a minute ago completely gone. "As you can see this is the town hall and...church", Mike Donell said. "The folks up here are mighty religious so its pretty well used, 'specially now after what happened. One of the girls who died was Sharon Natas, daughter of Hezekiel Natas, the reverend." Mulder nodded as he walked across the room towards what seemed to be an altar. Everything looked normal, a little plain perhaps but normal. And yet there was something in this room that made him very uncomfortable. He again got a paranoid feeling of being watched. "Jesus, its cold! Don't they get electricity up here", Scully whined. "No m'am, they don't", Mike replied, not without satisfaction. This city girl had a thing or two to learn about the mountains. Mulder and Scully looked at each other and frowned simultaneously. Mike Donell continued; "The reason we wanted you to see this was that this was where the girls were last seen before they disappeared. Nobody's been able to retrace their steps after the Sunday night service." As Mulder walked around the altar he saw something gleaming on the floor. He bent over and picked it up. It was a crucifix. "Sheriff Donell, of what religion did you say these people were?", Mulder said in that slow, sleek, ironic voice. "I didn't. But they are Pentecostals, if you've heard of that before. It's a Christian fundamentalist move..." Mulder interrupted him. "A Christian fundamentalist movement fairly common in the South. Their rules for women's behavior are especially strict. No drinking, no sex, must wear long sleeves and dresses - absolutely no pants, they're not allowed to cut their hair... Yeah, I've heard of Pentecostals before." Scully smiled to herself. He had that look on his face, the one he always had when he thought he'd outsmarted you. She found that look so intensely attractive, but she knew how much it annoyed other people. Sheriff Donell included. He sneered at Mulder and made a sign to his brother that he intended to leave. Scully walked over to Mulder and put her hand on his arm. "What's the matter, Mulder? Did you really have to piss him off right away, before we even got to first base?" Mulder looked down at the little woman standing in front of him. Even though she didn't look 100 percent healthy, she was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. It was right on the tip of his tongue to say; Well at least I didn't flirt with him and try to get into his pants, but he knew that wasn't fair. "You look pale", he said instead. She nodded in response but didn't say anything. They walked out of the church into the street where the Donell brothers were waiting for them. Mulder looked at the crucifix in his hand before tucking it in his pocket. Something was definitely wrong with it. "We'd better get a move on if you wanna see the place where the girls were found before it gets dark", sheriff Donell said. The Chattahooche river was an impressive sight. Reaching far and wide, it roared and flew wildly as if it wanted to show them it demanded respect right away. "This is the place, we've tried to keep it as intact as possible, although the... items found at the scene along with the heads have been taken to our office for obvious reasons." Sheriff Donell pointed out the spot as he spoke. His brother remained quiet. Scully thought curiously that their personalities sure were different, even if their looks weren't. Mulder walked around slowly on the riverbank, looking down at the ground. He had an intense, brooding look on his face. Suddenly he dove down to the ground. "What? What have you got, Mulder?", Scully said, knowing her partner wouldn't ruin his nice Brooks Brothers slacks for nothing. "This ground is hollow", he said and put his ear to the sand. "What do you mean, hollow...?", said Frank Donell, uttering his first words in over an hour. He looked scared. "I mean there's something underneath the sand, some kind of space. My guess would be a tunnel leading to an underground room." The Donell twins seemed dumbstruck. A tunnel? "Mr. Mulder, there's no way anyone could build a tunnel here, the sand and mud would make it cave in instantly...Besides, why would anyone want to do a thing like that?" Mulder smirked. "First of all, Mr. Donell, this tunnel wasn't built by Anyone. Second of all, I think you knew it was here all along. And so did your brother." Scully walked over and kneeled down beside Mulder. She put her hand in the wet sand to feel the density. It was loose. "Mulder, this sand is very loose, it feels like it would be easy to just scoop it up with your hands..." They looked at each other for a fleeting moment and started digging. Just like Scully anticipated the sand was very easy to remove. The Donell brothers helped them hesitantly. After a couple of minutes their hands encountered something that felt flat and hard. Metal. Mulder leaned back and pulled Scully up beside him. She eyed him with questioning eyes, as did the Donells. "It looks like some kind of door", she said, "but how do we open it? It feels like corrugated iron over cement." Mulder looked at Frank Donell. "If you know anything about what's down here, I suggest you tell us now." "... ehh... I'm not sure... its just rumors really... they say its some kind of shelter built in the fifties, you know... in case of nuclear war... I don't know that the work was ever finished, apparently there was some kind of accident during construction..." Frank Donell was stuttering and his hands were shaking. His brother looked worried. "Accident? What accident?", Scully snapped. "Well... some men went missing and... then this rumor got around that there's some curse or something over this place..." "Why weren't we informed of this right away", Mulder half-shouted, "we could have had twenty other people with us up here and saved a hell of a lot of time!" Sheriff Donell didn't like being ordered around, especially not by this snotnosed little prick; "Now, agent Mulder, this is all very fascinating stuff - hidden tunnels and nuclear holocaust fears, but I don't see how its relevant to our case?" "Relevant? I'll tell you how it's relevant, you moron! It's relevant because those four girls were the victims of ritual sacrifice!" "MULDER!" Scully's eyes were blazing with anger. What the hell was wrong with him? Her voice was strained but calm; "Lets just go to our motel and call for help. It's getting late and there's no way the four of us are gonna be able to open that door by ourselves." Mike and Frank Donell nodded. Mulder turned away. "I'm sorry about my partner's behavior...we're a bit stressed out at the moment", she added. When the Donell brothers had left the scene, Mulder turned and faced Scully again. He told her he was sorry. Not with words, but then they rarely used words when they talked about serious things. She could tell from looking into his eyes. In the car on the way to the motel, Mulder finally used words. "You and I both know there's something very wrong in that place up there. And its not just some fluke killer walking around looking for six-year-old girls. You've felt sick all day, and I...I've been a little overly aggressive..." Tell me about it, Scully thought ironically; "Yeah well, I guess you could have been a little more complying towards the Donells. They really didn't deserve to be treated like that..." Mulder licked his lips the way he always did when he was about to say something he knew would shock her. "I think that depends on how you look at it, Scully. Personally, I always get very uneasy around Satanists..." He held up the crucifix he had found in the church. Scully's eyes widened. The figure on the cross wasn't Jesus Christ. It was a demon with a grinning face hanging upside down. Part two: Astral bodies November 21 1996, 1.09 a.m. Thursday Blue Lantern Motel Extension, Georgia This dream I had made a slave of my passion Reality was always too far away And we were happy Until it came too close one day Mulder wasn't surprised that he wasn't able to sleep. He was a chronic insomniac. But he could hear Scully pacing the floor on the other side of the wall, and that was strange. She usually slept like a log no matter what. She seemed to have caught some kind of cold up here though. He felt a sting of tenderness at that thought. His baby was sick. He often wondered what she would say if she knew that in his mind he referred to her as "baby". Sometimes he felt convinced that she did know, when she pierced him through with those otherworldly green eyes. Thump, thump, thump. What the hell was she doing in there? Warming up for a marathon? Mulder sighed and slumped down on the bed. What to do with all this mess... This case was really bugging him. Mike Donell had been better at concealing his emotions than his brother, but they were both very unhappy about the FBI finding the tunnel, that was obvious. And that tunnel was most definitely an important part of all this. Pentecostals my ass, he thought. Fanatics, yes. Christians, no. Who did they think they were kidding? Reverend Natas, that was a good one. As if he, Fox Mulder, "All-round bright young man" as nicknamed by Pusher, wouldn't be able to figure out that Natas was Satan spelled backwards. Give me some credit, why don't you, he mused. On the way up here, Mulder had read up on this place. Turned out to be like a Grand Central Station for just about everything supernatural. What interested him the most was the fact that this was holy ground for many people. Indians, voodoo-cults, Christians, Satanists, even UFO-heads like himself considered the site very special. He reached for the book that lay on the night stand. The title read Legends of the Cherokee. He picked it up in Atlanta after reading the case file. The crime itself as well as the surroundings gave him a very distinctive feeling that only the ancient wisdom of the Cherokees, who inhabited this land long before any white man had set foot on it, could give him a hint of what was going on here. He turned to the chapter on the mountain Cherokees and his eyes immediately stuck to the words; Yes. This was it. Maybe what happened on Monday was the result of somebody doing just that. Meddling with powers beyond the control of Man, Mulder thought and put the book away with a muffled yawn. Clearly he and Scully were both deeply affected by whatever it was. The strange thing was, that he didn't resent the feeling altogether. It kinda made him feel alive. On the other side of the wall, Scully had stopped pacing now. Thank God, Mulder thought as he swigged what was left in the beer bottle beside his bed. His breathing kept getting heavier. He was exhausted, yet too tense to just lie down on the bed and go to sleep. He had turned up the heater earlier and now the room was vibrating with warmth. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. The skin on his chest was glowing hot. As he removed the rest of his clothes, he found himself wishing that the hands that lightly touched his body weren't his. Wishing that they were the hands of Dana Katherine Scully. He sighed. There wasn't much light in the room, just the moon shining in through the window, so when he saw something moving in the far corner he dismissed it as imagination at first. But when the shape in the corner took a step forward he realized what it was. It was her. Had he lost his mind? Had his longing for her finally pushed him over the edge? Maybe he wanted her so badly that his mind had produced a hallucination to soothe the pain? Because even though he knew it was impossible - there she stood. More beautiful than ever. She was naked, and her body was by far the most astonishing thing he ever witnessed. That milky white skin, those smooth curves... It was more perfect than he ever imagined. The sight of her standing there completely calm and collected, without a trace of shame, made his heart rate pick up and tiny drops of sweat started rolling down his face. Then she spoke with a hoarse, dragging voice he'd never heard her use before; "Fox...don't be afraid...you're not crazy...I'm here...I just couldn't resist anymore...I'm so sorry...please don't be mad at me...I...I just have to be close to you..." She walked towards him and kneeled down in front of him. Her eyes met his and for a moment, Fox Mulder thought that he was going to faint. Instead, he reached out his hand and touched her hair. It was softer than silk. All he could say was "Dana", over and over as he stroked her hair. She smiled up at him. "I wanna give you everything tonight my darling. No more holding back." she whispered as she lowered her face between his legs. Oh. My. God. Mulder's mind raced as Scully dragged her lips over the insides of his thighs. So soft and wet... She placed her hands on his lower back and he could feel her nails desperately digging into the flesh, as if she wanted to rip him apart and consume him. He winced with a mix of pleasure and pain. Scully glanced up at him. She seemed content with his reactions so far. He felt an overpowering urge to kiss her, and tried to pull her up to his burning lips, but she resisted. "Not yet", she murmured and before he could protest, she had already taken his hard, throbbing length into her mouth. The feel of her lips wrapped tight around his cock, and her tongue suckling and playing with it inside her mouth, forced him to moan loudly and helplessly. "Dana please", he whispered. "Please let me kiss you, I need to kiss you ....please...let me..." But he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't make her stop even though he wanted to. He wanted to slow things down, because he knew he would embarrass himself if they continued this way. If she would only let him kiss her, maybe that would temper his arousal. This was too animal-like, too much like in one of his infamous home videos featuring Traci, Barbie or somebody. Scully continued relentlessly, oblivious as to his inner struggle, and pretty soon he didn't care either anymore. All that existed in his mind was desire. No past, no future - just the urge to let go. The journey towards the inevitable goal. Then suddenly, she stopped. A faint sound of discontent escaped his lips, but before he could say anything, she was sitting atop him. He felt himself disappear inside her, and the feeling was unreal. She was so soft and wet, so complying, he just knew they were made for each other. "I love you Fox..." she whispered,"...I love you more than everything...you know that, don't you?" He felt a big lump in his throat. It was all too much. Feeling her, soft and willing, around him. Seeing her with that look of total desire in her eyes, desire for him and nobody else. And then the words. It seemed he had waited his whole life to hear her speak these words. Slowly, gently their lips met, and they started moving in that rhythm that is as old as time itself. His voice was trembling; "Dana...You're so beautiful...I love you so much...I didn't think you..." She smiled at him; "Shhh...you don't have to tell me. I know. I've always known..." Sweat was oozing out of their bodies, and they clung to each other harder. Scully's nails perforated the skin on his back, leaving long red claw marks from his neck to his buttocks. Mulder tried to hold back, but Scully urged him on, increasing the speed, pushing him closer towards release. He could hear her moan and sigh with pleasure everytime he thrust inside her, and it turned him on hearing her, seeing her like this, totally overcome with lust. She whispered into his neck; "Come on baby....give it to me...come on...I want it...let go...come on...let it come Fox...just let it come..." And then he exploded inside her. He cried and screamed and whimpered all at the same time, and he came so hard he thought he'd hurt her. But when he looked at her again, she was smiling. She stroked his hair and watched calmly as he tried to get his breathing back to normal again. Suddenly he felt ashamed that he'd been so selfish, that he had only thought of his own pleasure and not hers. Like he'd been masturbating over a picture of her. (Which he had actually done once, and almost died from the guilt feelings afterwards ) As if she'd read his mind, she said; "Don't be embarrassed. I wanted this. I wanted to see how fast I could make you come. It was a turn-on for me too." "Well, you sure got what you wanted," he replied with a laugh. "This must be an all-time record even for me." They both laughed and slid down on the bed beside each other. Mulder couldn't remember a time when he'd felt happier than he did right now. He was lying face to face with the only woman he ever loved, holding her hand and touching her. She loved him! It was beyond belief. Just as he was about to tell her one more time how beautiful and wonderful she was, and that he loved her more than life itself, he woke up. Fox Mulder was alone in a dark motel room, like always. When he realized that the most wonderful experience of his life had been a dream, his heart sank with disappointment. A dream. And yet... he could still smell her on his own body. Strange. He could have sworn she was just here. Of course, coming to his room in the middle of the night naked was a little out of character for her, to say the least...but...ah, hell, he thought, delusion is my middle name. Mulder decided to take a shower. A cold one. As he was stepping into the shower, he looked at himself in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. He froze. His entire back was covered with long red claw marks. * * * * * * Scully wasn't well. She felt feverish. It had begun in the car on the way up, and slowly worsened during the day. And now... her blood was boiling, and she had trouble breathing - it felt like an elephant was standing on her chest. The strange thing was, that it didn't bother her that much. Usually she hated being sick - that was one of the reasons she had studied medicine - but this fever heightened her senses and made her feel totally focused and sharp. This is the weirdest place, she thought. I bet Mulder enjoys being here, it's just the kind of sick twisted environment he thrives on. I wonder what he's doing now. I don't hear anything. He must be sleeping. No. Not him. He never sleeps unless he's drunk or unconscious. She had been pacing the floor, smoking restlessly, for the last hour or so when she sat down on the bed with her back against the wall that was separating them. That wall is so thin, if he's leaning towards it on the other side there's almost nothing between us, she thought. The mere thought was enough to make her wet. And her mind wandered. Maybe he was sitting there, on the other side, thinking of her as she was of him... maybe he felt hot and feverish like she did, and maybe he took his clothes off to feel that cool sheet against his body. His long, lanky body... the body she so longed to touch, oh how she wanted to feel it pressed against her, the full weight of him on top of her... Stop it, Dana!, her conscience screamed at her. Stop it while you can, because one of these days you will make one false move, and he'll know. And do you really think you can live with the embarrassment? He'll be so disappointed in you. If you break the code, he'll never forgive you. Besides, you know he doesn't care for you in that way! His life is devoted to one thing and one thing only. Finding Samantha. Scully felt a tear making its way down her cheek, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. Suddenly she was tired too, the energy from a moment ago completely gone. She slid down between the covers, and curled up in fetus position. Never, never, never. He must never know of the secret life she lived in her mind. Better to live on the small crumbs he fed her once in a while, than to loose him altogether. To an outsider it might seem strange that Dana Scully should entertain such thoughts, since she was both beautiful and intelligent enough to be Mulder's equal. But she did. It was a strong protective device she had developed over the years. A fear of men and love and commitment springing from one blow too many in her early twenties. She had promised herself to never jeopardize friendship, pride and peace of mind for the sake of a stupid infatuation. Over the years she had come to realize that what she felt for Mulder was more than a stupid infatuation, but that didn't matter. Their work situation made it impossible to go any further anyway, so why not let sleeping dogs lie? Cause the dawgs are restless and they need to get fed sumthin atha than bones once in ah-while Dana dear, said one of her inner voices (it had a strange, southern accent she associated with authority and madness). Oh shut up, said another voice, I don't wanna hear it. How about you present a solution instead of whining all the time, I'm sick of hearing it! Somewhere along the line she must have dozed off, because she woke up with a start when she felt something moving behind her on the bed. She lay totally still on her left side, eyes still closed. Am I awake? Is this a dream? No. It can't be, it's too real. I wouldn't hear the hum of the traffic out on route 82 if I was dreaming. The buzzing of the radiator. The sweat running down my spine. The faint smell of... She knew that smell. There was only one person in the world that smelled skin, soap and sunflower seeds like that. Mulder. The hair on her neck stood straight up. The person behind her slipped under the covers with her, and when she felt his chest touching her back, she sighed loudly. For a moment, she wondered where the hell her clothes had gone, but that thought quickly disappeared. She really didn't give a damn. He put his left arm underneath and around her. His right hand stroked the hair out of her face and gently caressed her cheek. It gave her goosebumps, the way he touched her. She could feel him breathing into her ear, his breath so warm and calm. Lightly, he let his fingertips float up and down her side and back. And then he reached around to the insides of her thighs. Oh Lord... I'm losing control, she thought. "Dana..." His voice was raw and coarse with desire. "...I've waited so long for this..I...wish I could tell you how much I love you, but now that I'm here I just can't seem to find the words...so I guess I'll just have to show you instead...if you'll let me..." How could he have any doubts that she would let him do anything he pleased with her? There was true question in his voice, insecurity she never thought he would reveal to her so openly. Her heart felt thick and heavy in her chest. She spread her legs slightly in response to his query. She started to turn her head so that she'd be able to see the man speaking these beautiful words to her, but he stopped her. "...not yet...", he whispered, as he slowly and ever so gently slid two fingers inside her. God help me. "You're so wet, sweetheart...so wet and soft...It's like touching velvet...you don't know what that does to me Dana..." His fingers moved out and up a bit, he searched the wetness until he found what he was looking for, and started rubbing lightly. Scully writhed and moaned, she couldn't believe how well he knew her body. He rubbed harder, faster, oh God can it really feel like this... and he whispered: "Turn around...I need to see what those green eyes look like when they're hungry..." She rolled over on her back and gazed up at him. His eyes shone bright under heavy eyelids, she never imagined he could look like that. The look in his eyes was one of total tenderness, it made her heart swell with love and pride to know that look was because of her. He smiled at her and nodded his head ever so slightly, and then leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You know I dreamed about doing this so many times, but I never thought you'd let me...I never thought..." He trailed off there, and she could see the tears filling his eyes, making them shine even brighter. Scully had difficulty breathing now, the elephant on her chest had apparently invited all his relatives to come and stand around there too. Who are you, she thought. I know you but I don't have a clue who you are. Mulder continued to kiss her, moving slowly down towards her breasts. Scully's nipples were so hard it hurt, and when he wet them with his tongue it felt like fire on ice. Then suddenly, in one fast movement, he pushed his head in between her legs. She cried out with surprise, the feeling was overpowering - his tongue on her, in her, doing things that made her body shake with desire. The elephant family on her chest seemed gone now, instead her breathing had become erratic and she couldn't stop it from carrying sounds out with it. Mulder had his arms around her thighs, gently caressing her thin skin with his fingertips as his mouth dove deep inside her. Scully's hips lifted and pressed against him, she was traveling fast down the slide that would end in ecstasy. She moaned loudly now, and she was saying things without even knowing it, begging him to take her over the edge. With cat-like smoothness Mulder slid up her body and pushed inside her, arms around her and gaze fixed on her eyes. Feeling him hard inside her was so wonderfully painful it made her scream. Mulder jumped back. He looked scared. "Scully? Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" Scully couldn't help but laugh, this was just so typical of him, always thinking that the only thing he could possibly give her was pain. She looked him deep in the eye. He looked puzzled, the question still there in his eyes. Scully stroked his cheek the way you would a child that needs reassurance, and said in a low, husky voice; "The only way you could ever hurt me is by leaving me." The single sentence hung in mid air for a moment until it finally sunk in. "Then I guess there's no way I can hurt you", he said with a crooked smile. She pulled him down into her again, and they slowly picked up the rhythm when their hips started rocking against each other. Soon, the pace became more frenzied, and Scully felt Mulder's arms shaking with the strain of holding up his body weight over her. Oh God, what's he doing to me? My body's on fire, " I...I... I love you Fox", she whispered in his ear. And then she came. Mulder had never felt a woman come like that, she shuddered and rubbed her clitoris against his pelvic bone and fucked him so hard he thought his cock would explode, and he whimpered a little and emptied himself inside her. He lumped down beside her, and she rolled over on her side with her back against him, trying to regain composure. Scully's head was spinning. What the hell happened? Her heart was beating out of her chest and every muscle in her body was completely limp. She felt a warm breath in her ear and heard Mulder's voice; "And I love you Dana Scully. Don't you ever forget that." Scully smiled and turned around, ready to take him in her arms once more. But he was gone, and the only sound in the room was the low buzz of the radiator. Scully had woken up. Part three: Masks November 21 1996, 9.06 a.m. Thursday The Blue Lantern Motel Extension, Georgia All of a sudden I faced The truth of my dream My love had only been a picture, a scene I suppose I needed to believe Didn't want to see You had never been close to me What do you do the morning after you've had the greatest sex of your life with a man you adore? Scully sure as hell didn't know, especially considering that the whole thing had been a dream. A stupid, stupid dream. A voice in her head, one of the meanest voices, was at it already, telling her what a joke she was; ...and for a moment there, you actually believed it was true, ha ha ha, you're such a dope, Dana, let me tell ya sumthin' - don't flatter yourself honey, the guy's about as interested in you as he is in macram? knitting, okay? Scully felt bad about the whole thing now, although she realized she couldn't really help who she dreamed about. Maybe the real problem was that the dream had made her understand the exact nature of her feelings for Mulder. I'm in love with him, she thought. And God help me, I've never wanted a man the way I want him. Scully took a deep breath and stepped out of her motel room, dreading the moment when she'd have to face her partner again. Fox Mulder walked down the motel corridor, impeccably dressed as always, and looking like a man with whom you did not fool around and get away with it. But the cool exterior was deceiving. Inside he was in uproar. Thou shalt not have sexual fantasies about thy partner. That was rule number one, which he had of course broken a long time ago. But there was a new amendment to the rule now. Thou shalt not have fantasies that leave claw marks on thy back. Pretty healthy rule, he figured. Too bad he had already broken that one as well. How weird could you get, scratching up your own back while having imaginary sex with your partner? It was sickening. As long as she never finds out, he thought. She must never ever find out what a creep I really am. She would leave me faster than I could say transfer. Mulder had a mean voice in his head too, just like Scully, only this voice was saying; But you're not a creep, are you agent Mulder? You're sincere, and that is what's scaring you, isn't it? There's a term for people like you, people who are afraid to face facts. You're a coward... Mulder shook his head and sighed loudly as he rounded the corner leading to the motel reception, where Scully was waiting for him. Neither of them uttered a word before they reached the car, when Mulder suddenly said; "So Scully, how'd you sleep last night?" Scully felt blood rushing to her cheeks, and her heart rate picked up a couple of notches; "Okay I guess... had some strange dreams, but...", she stopped herself, but it was too late. Scully felt panic rise inside her when she realized what she had done. There was no way he was ever going to let up now. Mulder froze. He squinted at Scully, and a little smile broke out on his face. "That so? And just what kind of strange dreams was that if I might ask?" Scully's face was red as a stop light by now, and with her head bent down she murmured; "The private kind... look, can we please just forget I said anything and go down and see that tunnel of yours now?" Mulder laughed and nodded his head; "Sure, what ever you say. But you know I'll get it out of you sooner or later." I wouldn't tell you about that dream if you stuck needles in my eyes, my darling, Scully thought. You want me to know, thought Mulder. You think you don't but you do, or you wouldn't have said anything. This is getting more interesting every minute... When Mulder and Scully reached the riverbank where four little girls had died just two days before, they found it deserted and quiet. Mulder turned to his partner, anger blazing in his eyes once again; "What the hell is this? I thought your Addams family sheriffs were gonna meet us here with a digging crew? Did we drive all the way down here for nothing, I can't believe this! I'm gonna wring their goddamned necks for this, I'm gonna..." "HELLO!", Scully interrupted him. She had that queasy, feverish feeling again, just like the day before. "It's not my friggin' fault they're not here! You were the one who talked to them last night. Maybe there's been some kind of mistake?" Mulder shook his head; "No Scully, there's no mistake. They just don't want to help us, that's all." They began to walk slowly down towards the door that they had found the day before, neither of them knowing what to do next. Fortunately, the answer was bestowed upon them when they came to the door. It was wide open, and the wind was making a funny noise when it blew into the corridor that lay open straight into the mountain. It sounded like singing, Mulder thought, and it was beckoning them to step inside. "Scully get the flashlights!", he ordered and jumped down the entrance hole. Scully didn't like the idea one bit, but as always, she indulged him. The corridor seemed to go on forever. It was big enough for Mulder to stand up straight in, but never the less gave them both claustrophobia after a while. After walking for about half an hour, Scully stated that this was a dead end and that she was going to turn back. Just then, they both saw a faint, flickering light. They looked at each other, and started running. The light drew closer with every step, and pretty soon they reached the hall from where it came. It reminded Scully of S:t Peter's church in Rome, which she had visited with her family as a teenager. Its huge vaults hovered over them like stone clouds, high up in the air. The walls and ceiling bore the orange-red color that had made Georgia soil world famous, indicating that they were in fact underneath the mountain, and not inside it. The hall felt vibrant, almost electric, Mulder recognized this feeling from the day before, only it was so much stronger now. "This don't look like no bomb shelter to me, Scully", he said in a slightly excited voice, "Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere...", he added sarcastically. Scully could hardly hear him. His voice seemed to come from a place far, far away, and she seemed to drift further still. "Mulder... I don't feel so", and then she fainted. Mulder leaped forward just in time to catch his partner before she hit the ground. He cradled her head in his lap and patted her gently on the cheeks, but she was lost in unconsciousness. Shit! He didn't have a clue what he was supposed to do, she was the doctor for God's sake! Just as he was about to pick her up and start carrying her back outside again, he felt a heavy, dull pain in the back of his neck and passed out. Sheriff Mike Donell and his brother Frank stood by the rental car Mulder and Scully had left by the end of the road leading to the Chattahooche river bank. Mike Donell took his hat off, scratched his head, and sighed; "I sure hope those two city slickers know what they're getting themselves into... Your stupid bomb shelter story didn't seem to frighten 'em from going down there, I told you we should've told 'em the goddamn truth 'bout the place!" Frank Donell looked concerned, and a little offended to be reprimanded by his brother this way. "And now we're gonna have the whole damn FBI comin' up here asking questions, that's just peachy lil' brother!", Mike continued. "It was your idea to call these two crackpots in the first place", Frank snapped back, "you knew they specialize in weirdness, of course they went down the tunnel, it's their goddamn job! And how'd they get that goddamn door opened anyway?" Mike was flabbergasted. "I didn't call 'em, lil' brother... I thought you did..." There was a moment of silence between the brothers, and then a voice said from behind their backs; "Guilty as charged on both counts, my friends. I called 'em. I knew you'd both think the other one was responsible, Laurel'n'Hardy-types that you are... and naturally, I opened the gate to the unfaithful. They will serve their purpose, and then they will perish." Mike and Frank Donell knew that voice all to well. It belonged the reverend Hezekiel Natas, and it filled them both with fear. They turned around slowly, and there stood not only the reverend, but most of his faithful as well. Mike winced, they looked like ghosts with their chalk white faces and dark, doll like eyes. "You sacrificed your own daughter for The Cause, Hezekiel. Isn't that enough? These people got nothing to do with you, why do they have to die?" Hezekiel Natas laughed out loud, a shrill, hollow laugh without joy. "Oh, Michael, you really are the most thick bastard I ever met. Agent Mulder and agent Scully weren't picked on random! They're part of a package deal that involves far more than you could possibly comprehend." When Scully opened her eyes, she was standing beside her body, which was still lying on the floor of the underground hall, right next to Mulder's. She was clad in a white linen dress, and she felt remarkably light, weightless almost. No worry or angst clouded her mind, she felt... free. And then, she heard a voice she had wanted to hear for so long but thought that she never would again. The voice of her dead sister Melissa. There she stood, or so it seemed, looking as alive and well as ever. Melissa Scully, in the fl... Now that you mention it, I don't see your lips moving when you speak, Scully thought. Mind reading or no mind reading, she asked her sister aloud; "What exactly is 'here', Missy? And what about him?", she pointed to Mulder's seemingly lifeless body. Strangely enough she wasn't worried about him, she knew he wasn't dead or hurt badly. Scully stood there, confused, her gaze wandering from her sister to Mulder and back again. "You're as flaky as ever, even in death", she jested, but inside she was filled with an infinite sadness. Many times she had begged her sister for forgiveness in dreams and in prayers, she had asked the question over and over; Was it my fault that you died, Melissa?. But she had never received an answer. And now, when she had the chance to ask her face to face, Scully just couldn't bring herself to say the words, and she realized that maybe she didn't really want to hear the answer. Scully nodded her head slowly, and took Melissa's outstretched hand. "What about him?", she said, pointing towards Mulder. Mulder was floating in the arms of unconsciousness, feeling nothing but the softness of the air surrounding him, no thought or emotion existed here, only sweet black nothingness. He had no concept of time or space, and had no idea how long he had been out there, when the silence was broken by a voice he knew only to well. Mulder's eyes flew wide open. Someone's trying that old trick again, huh? Much to his surprise, he was already on his feet and facing the woman who addressed him when he opened his eyes. She was tall, almost as tall as him, with light brown hair and eyes that shone as green as his own. And all of a sudden, he knew. He could tell just by looking at her, this was the real thing. This was his little sister Samantha, whom he hadn't seen in over 20 years. "Ss..Samantha?", he whispered, reaching out his violently trembling hands to touch her. She smiled sadly, but embraced him with warmth and compassion. Mulder let go of his sister and stared at her with a look that was both puzzled and offended. "What do you mean? You're back, that's all that matters, you've come back to me after all this time, that's nothing to be sorry about!" Samantha bowed her head and sighed. Mulder spun around with the speed of a squirrel, and just like Samantha had told him, there he was on the floor. And so was Scully. He looked at his sister again, eyes questioning. Although disappointed by the insight that the woman before him was some kind of spiritual apparition of his sister, Mulder felt a slight sense of relief too, because he wasn't totally confident that he'd be up to facing the "real Samantha". The weirdest thing of all, Mulder thought, isn't that she can read my mind or that I'm suddenly dressed in a black suit. It's not even that I'm not worried about Scully, which I normally would be if she was lying unconscious on the floor. The weirdest thing is that I know everything she says is true. I knew it before she said it. Samantha smiled and took her brother by the hand, just as Melissa had taken her sister by the hand moments earlier, and they started their journey into the heart of the mountain. Part four: Sacrifices November 21 1996, 10.13 p.m. Thursday Dead man's junction Aintry, Georgia I'm sorry This illusion has caused you a lot of pain But I have no solution I'll try to never be back again I'm sorry Standing on the riverbank outside The Gate, Hezekiel Natas felt extremely satisfied with himself. When his old friend had called from Washington DC on Monday evening, he really had thought that his ass was fried. But that was one of the nice things about life - you just couldn't tell what was waiting around the next corner! Not only had his Washington friend offered him total immunity in the murder investigation which would inevitably follow Sunday night's events, but the price for this favor had been more like a gift. All he had to do was get rid of a couple of FBI-agents, and mr. Washington would make sure he could walk away scot free. His request couldn't have come more appropriately, since it had become evident to mr. Natas that the sacrifices the congregation had already made hadn't been enough. And here came fresh meat, served to him on a silver platter! Agents Scully and Mulder would surely be crushed by the supreme Evil that resided in the mountain, and he would finally receive the powers he desired so badly. It was only logical. Reverend Natas had sacrificed his beloved daughter, and the daughters of the highest ranking believers. He had fed the Beast the one thing he had ever cared about in his whole life, and performed the Rites with the remaining body parts. He had felt the evil flowing through him doing it, knowing that such an atrocious act could only be committed by a truly evil person, a person who deserved The Power. Now, if this hadn't worked, which it obviously hadn't, then maybe offering two complete strangers simply to save his own skin would. This act of fear, power-hunger, and total selfishness would undoubtedly please the Prince of Darkness. Yes. This would work. And then he'd be the most powerful disciple since Alistair Crowley... Hezekiel Natas looked at his gathering of faithfuls and led them in prayer. Darkness had fallen, and by midnight the real game would begin. * * * * * * * November 21 1996, 10.13 p.m. Thursday Washington DC Yeah, old Hezekiel is crazy as a loon allright, always has been, always will be. Of course, always to him isn't going to be very long, but there it is. Back in the old days when he was part of the Project that sometimes came in handy, but lately... He simply overstepped his balance, and of course that means that it's finally time for Hezekiel to go down for the dirt nap. And his whole godforsaken village with him. But who could have anticipated that the old goat would off his own daughter and three other girls in a satanic ritual, and create such a golden opportunity to close the lid on another big can of worms? Jeez, it's almost too good to be true, but as they say in the wonderful world of news media; "Never check a good story twice." Now Mulder and Scully will finally fall victim to an X-file, that's perfectly natural, and no one will connect what happened to the Project or to me, that's an early Christmas present if I ever saw one... If I'm correct, they only have hours left now... At last, the end of Fox "pain-in-the-butt-borderline-psychotic-UFO-chaser" Mulder, and the lovely dr. Dana "pain-in-the-butt-frigid-bitch" Scully. And the beauty of it is, that those two love birds will destroy each other, what a fitting end to their noble quest! The man thinking these thoughts stood by a panoramic window overlooking all the glittering lights of DC by night. He smiled to himself and downed what was left in his whiskey glass. Just thinking about Mulder and Scully in the hands of those nut cases makes me happy, he thought, and lit a new cigarette on the butt of his old one. * * * * * * * November 21 1996, 10.13 p.m. Thursday Vaults Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia As they ascended higher up into the mountain (Scully wasn't sure exactly =how= they did that, but she had decided to take her sister's advice and drop the "scientist bullshit", at least for now), Melissa started to speak again. That fuzzy feeling Scully had a little while ago was now being replaced by a growing fear of what lay ahead. Maybe she and Mulder weren't strong enough? Melissa made it out like they were some kind of super-humans, able to fight any evil that came their way. , Melissa smiled, Oh, so love is stronger in dead people?, Scully said ironically. Scully blushed; "Please tell me you're not referring to that idiotic dream I had, please tell me you don't know anything about that!" Scully laughed out loud, that was the most absurd thing she had ever heard Melissa say, and knowing Melissa, that meant a lot. "Oh, Missy, come on! You mean to say he snuck into my room naked in the middle of the night, and then simply crawled into bed with me and fucked my brains out?" Scully and Melissa had gone through another corridor while they were talking, and now stood outside a door. Scully eyed her sister with distrust. Melissa began to lose her patience; Scully saw her chance; "So it =was= dreams? I mean, even if we both had wet dreams about each other on the same night, that doesn't mean we actually did... it, does it?" Scully didn't look convinced, but a little less skeptical. She just remembered something. When she woke up this morning, she'd felt as if she had a giant bruise between her legs. Even if it had been a long time since she had sex, it hadn't been so long as to make her forget what it felt like the day after. And the feeling this morning was exactly it. She blushed again thinking about it, but she had to admit it was an appealing and not completely unarousing thought. What was it he'd said before he disappeared? Oh, what was it... As strange as seemed, Scully did believe it. On some level at least. She nodded her head slowly. Melissa smiled again and nodded back. Slowly, Melissa's frame began to fade away, and although she understood that this was inevitable, Scully felt a strong urge to cry out; "Wait, don't leave me! I can't do this alone, I need you!" But she didn't, and now there was the door, waiting for her to go through it, willing her to go through it. She turned the handle and opened it. * * * * * * * Mulder was surprised to find that the door he'd just gone through led to his office at FBI headquarters in Washington DC. On the other hand, hey, why the hell not? He'd just said good-bye to his long-lost sister, who had told him, among other things, that the embarrassing sex-dream he'd had about Scully last night wasn't really a dream... And if that was true, then what could be more natural than standing in some cave in Georgia and then suddenly finding yourself back in DC? The office looked the way it always had, messy on his side and tidy on Scully's. The computer on Scully's desk was turned on, its blue, flickering light and low hum seemed to be saying; "Come over here, there's something you should see..." And boy, was there ever. The open document on the screen was painfully familiar to him, he knew what it was right away. It was one of the files from the DAT he'd almost been killed for. But... that couldn't be right, could it? This had setup written all over it, and he didn't believe it for one second. If this was the test Samantha had been talking about, then it was a pretty lame one, Mulder thought. As if Scully would be stupid enough to... as if she would ever... Mulder's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the corridor, and instinctively he jumped back and hid behind the open door. He had a perfect view of the room in the crack between the door and the doorpost, and as far as he knew there wasn't anything wrong with his eyes, but still he couldn't believe what he saw. The two people who entered the office were Dana Scully and Walter Skinner. The assistant director had an arm around Scully's waist, and his hand rested on her shapely behind. Mulder felt the blood pumping through his veins, his heart working overtime, and sweat breaking out on his forehead. Scully and Skinner. Skinner and Scully. They're both in on it. Going behind his back, double-crossing him in love as well as in the work they did. Scully was giggling, looking up at the tall man beside her with sparkling eyes, and Skinner was talking in a low, tender voice - there could be no doubt that they were in fact lovers. They stopped at Scully's desk, and she bent over to take a closer look at the computer screen. Skinner stood behind her, pressing his hips to her butt, and caressing her back with hungry hands. "Do you know what I'd like to do to you right now...", he said. Scully turned her head and giggled again; "Mhm... but we don't have time, sweetie... work, work, work, you know... We have to finish deleting these files before =he= comes back, and besides... I'm still pretty sore from last night..." Skinner smiled and nodded his head, and then whisked her up into his arms; "You were incredible", he said, "I thought you'd kill me the way you carried on, scratching up my back like a wild cat..." Scully and Skinner kissed passionately, and Mulder could see that Scully's hands wandered from the assistant director's behind to his front, gently massaging the bulge in his pants. By now, Mulder felt so sick he thought he was going to throw up. He felt the hatred swelling like a tumor inside, feeding off his jealousy and betrayed trust. Scully started to laugh hysterically, and when Skinner asked her what was so funny, she said; "I just can't believe that we've been doing this for so many years without that nerd having a clue, I mean, we've had sex in the next room without him noticing, he's got to be the biggest schmuck on earth!" Skinner joined her in laughter when he heard this, and added; "And he thinks you're gonna help him find his sister, and you've known all along where she is!" Their laughter was unkind and condescending, they obviously thought Mulder was a complete idiot. They're both in on it, he thought, both of them... together... behind my back... Why couldn't it have been somebody else, why'd it have to be Skinner... and Scully... The only two people I've ever trusted sold me out, I can't believe it. But there they are, and look at the way they're touching each other, it's disgusting. Disgusting. Samantha's advice was fading quickly now, she couldn't have known that =this= was what he was going to see. She couldn't have known the magnitude of Scully's betrayal, or she would have advised him to kill his partner. So he would spend the rest of his life in prison, so what? Mulder really didn't care anymore. He was drowning in a sea of rage, and that bitch was going to pay, he'd make her pay with her life and have her die screaming... Mulder made a giant leap out from behind the door, ready to rid the world of that lying whore right away, but before he could reach her, he banged into what felt like a concrete wall. He fell down a big, black, bottomless hole, the wind whistling around him. When he opened his eyes he was no longer in his office, but back in the big hall where he'd left his body. Not only that, he was back =in his body=, and ready to rock and roll. Now all he had to do was find that cunt, and he'd send her to hell, where she would surely get a front row seat along with Judas, Brutus, Cassius and all the other famous traitors. "Mr. Mulder, I can see that you are ready to participate in this evening's service.", a voice said from behind him. Mulder turned around and looked into the black eyes of Hezekiel Natas. "Now I know what you must be thinking. You want to do this alone, without our assistance, but I can assure you that it will be more rewarding for every one this way." Mulder eyed the reverend and the group of people standing around him for a moment, and then said; "What do you have in mind?" Mr. Natas smiled and replied; "We can make a deal, mr. Mulder. Join us, and perform the Rites on your partner, and you will get your sister back in return. Seeing her again must have been painful. Poor Samantha, she really doesn't deserve to be where she is..." Needless to say, mr. Natas had absolutely no intention of revealing anything what so ever about Samantha's whereabouts, but he got the reaction he wanted out of Mulder. "And where's that?", Mulder said eagerly. "I'm sorry, but I really can't tell you unless you sign the contract.", mr. Natas answered, fumbling with a piece of paper. He gave it to Mulder, who without reading it immediately asked for pen. Hezekiel Natas laughed; "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." He paused, turned to one of his followers who handed him something, and continued; "You have to sign it with your own blood." Mulder could see what he had in his hand now. It was a knife, about ten inches long and engraved with satanic symbols. He hesitated for a moment, maybe this wasn't such a good idea? Then he thought about Skinner, naked and sweaty and moaning on top of Scully, and Scully screaming when he made her come and whispering I love you in Skinner's ear..."Okay. When do we start?" Part five: Purgatory The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference Anonymous November 21 1996, 10.13 p.m. Thursday Ward 5 Georgia State Asylum Rome, Georgia "I sure hope this is as important as you think, or I'll have your ass for dragging me in here this late." Dr. Amos Carley sure didn't appreciate being dragged off to work after hours, he had always, in spite of his profession, been a nine-to-five kind of guy. The orderly who had called him was twitching nervously, but he was pretty sure he'd done the right thing. Marcus Henley, one of their newest "guests", had spent the entire evening screaming, ranting about FBI-agents, satanic cults, ritual sacrifice and blood baths. Nothing out of the ordinary at this ward, of course, except mr. Henley had been in a catatonic state ever since he was admitted three days ago. Nobody had expected him to snap out of it this quickly, or in this violent way, so the night staff called dr. Carley simply because they didn't know what to do. Mr. Henley was already heavily medicated and in restraints, and that didn't help, maybe dr. Carley coming in to talk with him would cool him off? The orderly, whose name was Bill Ullrich, rattled his massive key chain for a few seconds until he found the right key, and unlocked the door to Marcus Henley's room. Henley was strapped tight to his bed standing center of the room, he couldn't even move his head, but his eyes were fluttering and his face was soaked in sweat from his desperate attempts to do so anyway. "So mr. Henley... it's very nice to have you back with us, but you haven't exactly been on your best behavior since you woke up, have you?", Carley said in his best doctorish voice, leaning over his patient. "Oh, doctor, doctor I'm so glad you're here, you must help me, pleasepleaseplease help me doctor, there are terrible deeds being done right now as we speak, oooohhh... more innocent people are being sacrificed, doctor!", the words flowed out of Marcus Henley's mouth in a "characteristic manic way". At least he wasn't screaming now, that was something dr. Carley supposed; "Aha. And you want =me= to stop these 'terrible deeds' as you call them, correct?" Henley smiled; "Yes, yes, yes, oh, doctor if there's still time, we can all be saved, oh, I think there's still time, maybe... maybe, if I could just make a phone call, then a friend of mine could stop this, oh, he's a good man, he would put things right again, yes, oh no, he's not a scumbag like me, no, no, doctor, a good man is what he is, so could I?" Amos Carley had trouble keeping himself from laughing, this old hillbilly was even crazier than he'd first thought. The way this tobacco farmer's daughter had died and the fact that he most likely played some part in her death, had triggered a psychosis so intricate, it actually had mr. Henley believing he could save the world with a single phone call. Of course, megalomaniac ideas like that weren't unusual, but Henley's world seemed very organized in all its chaos, Carley thought. Interesting case. But not tonight. He turned to Bill Ullrich; "I'm going home. You'll just have to give him something stronger to make him sleep, I'm too tired for this shit right now." This wasn't what Marcus Henley wanted to hear, and he threw a total fit; "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!! YOU BETTER LISTEN TO ME YOU ASSHOLE OR YOU'LL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LORD ON JUDGMENT DAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TONIGHT!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME? PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING HOME, WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM???" Amos Carley and Bill Ullrich both jumped back, eyes wide and mouths open. Ullrich found himself thinking that with a voice like that, mr. Henley must have been in the church choir, but didn't really have time to elaborate on that thought, because just then, mr. Henley did the impossible. He sat up, ripping the restraints to pieces. One split second later, he was all over Carley and Ullrich, managing to knock them both out at the same time by smacking their heads together. Quickly, he snatched mr. Ullrich's keys, and peeked into the hallway. Empty. Nobody had seen or heard a thing. Perfect. He switched clothes with doctor Carley, who wasn't wearing hospital clothes, and just before he left the room, he turned around and said; "Well, you sure got your rest now, doctor..." Five minutes later he left the hospital grounds in Carley's old Chevy. * * * * * * * November 21 1996, 10.19 p.m. Vaults Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia The door Scully went through led to a church. A cathedral actually, and she recognized it too. It was S:t Patrick's in New York City. Strange. I haven't been here for such a long time, but I've always loved this place, she thought. It's so majestic, so beautiful, especially when it's prepared for a wedding, like now. Scully, who stood behind the last row, could see all the people gathered to watch the ceremony. They looked exalted and happy, chatting cheerfully with each other. I wonder whose wedding it is, Scully thought curiously, I have to get a closer look. She moved quickly up the aisle, obviously nobody could see her, and that was good, because that meant she could snatch the best seat in the house, right next to the altar. The priest moved into place, and the congregation quieted down. From where she was now standing, Scully could see who was sitting in the first few rows, and that answered any and all questions she might have had about whose wedding this was. On her right hand side: Her mother, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. And on the left... Half the FBI (what the hell are they doing here, they don't even like him) filled up the seats behind her husband-to-be, he didn't seem to have any relatives at all apart from his mother, who sat in the row behind him. Oh, God... Scully really thought she would pass out when she looked at him, but then she remembered - you're not really here, so how can you pass out? Fox Mulder in a tux, now there was something she thought she'd never see. And certainly not in this context. Scully's heart felt like Jell-O. Mulder looked nervous, pale and serious. But he looked happy, he really did. Now there was something =else= she thought she'd never see... Happy Mulder. The Jell-O heart in Scully's chest was beating heavily, she was moved by all this, and after watching Mulder for a minute or so she felt the first tear making its way down her cheek. And then something funny happened. Mulder looked up, straight at her, and smiled. Scully heard the wedding march start, and in the corner of her eye she saw the church doors open, but she hardly noticed it. Everybody stood up, turning toward the doors, and just before Mulder turned away, he winked at her. This is insane, Scully thought, I'm sorry Melissa, but this is too much to swallow even if I ignore the scientific viewpoint. He can't see me, I'm not here, I'm... walking down the aisle arm in arm with Skinner. Through the tears, Scully now burst out laughing; I'm marrying Fox Mulder in S:t Patrick's cathedral and Skinner's giving me away, this is priceless! But her laughter caught in her throat when she saw herself. Wearing a stunning, white wedding dress with a thick lace veil, Dana Scully was the most radiant bride imaginable. Everyone in the room drew a breath simultaneously, including Fox Mulder. He had tears in his eyes now, she could see that. Scully felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. She had never been remotely close to this feeling of total happiness before. Suddenly, Scully saw a strange looking group of people standing by the doors, far behind everybody else. It was hard to make out the faces, because they were so far away, but she knew who it was. Melissa, Samantha, Mulder's father, her father, X, Deep Throat, and agent Pendrell. They were all smiling, and Melissa nodded to her. Thank you God, or whoever is behind this, for letting me see this, for letting me feel this, thank you, thank you, thank you... She was allowed to stay just long enough to see herself and Mulder exchange rings and kiss, and then everything faded to black. Maybe Scully wouldn't have been as grateful if she had known that the real trial still awaited her. * * * * * * * "So, how do we find the bitch?", Mulder said to Hezekiel Natas. They had moved to the room next to the big hall now, the room mr. Natas called the temple. Mulder really didn't give a shit what it was, all he cared about was revenge. It looked like Satanist joints usually did, kinda like a church only everything was black and turned upside down. It could turn out to be a good thing though, the place looking like it did. Since she's Catholic, this place will probably scare her pants off, he figured. Not that she's used to having them on except when she's with me, he added sourly. "Now there, mr. Mulder, patience is imperative. I believe that miss Scully will come to us when she is ready.", Natas answered. "And just why would she do that, she's not stupid you know?" No, =she's= not stupid, but she loves you, you imbecile, thought Natas, and said: "She has to come. It is her destiny. Now, please, we must get this contract business over with before we begin." Mulder was led to the altar, the knife and all the other props were laid out on a table next to it, the contract being the sole object on the black velvet draping. Before he even knew what hit him, one of Natas' aides locked Mulder's arm and held it out over the altar, and reverend Natas sliced the palm of his hand open over the contract. Palm, Mulder thought. It means lamp. Other than that, he didn't think or feel anything. The blood sprayed over the paper, and then someone rolled a piece of cloth around the wounded hand. Mr. Natas looked more pleased than ever. "There now", he said, "now we can finally get down to business." Mulder wasn't sure, but somewhere in the back of his mind he had an idea that this was probably the worst mistake he'd ever made. You just sold your soul to the Devil, he thought, and you don't even care. I care!, he answered himself, I care about Samantha, that's why I'm doing it this way, I wouldn't have strayed from that path anyway if it wasn't for Scully! She made me lose sight of what's really important to me, I can see that now, and it's nothing but poetic justice that I trade that evil little witch for someone I truly love! Mulder knew there was logic in there somewhere, he just didn't have the mental strength to think about what that could be, he didn't =want= to think about it. He couldn't avoid becoming aware of one thing, though. That "someone I truly love" bit was totally bogus. Never before had it been so heart-rippingly evident to him that he loved Dana Scully more than he had thought it humanly possible to love anyone. Betrayal or no, it just made him feel it stronger. And no matter how much he tried to kid himself, this was the real reason he wanted to kill her. Hatred like this could only come from love gone bad, and he knew it. Hezekiel Natas and his followers started to chant, gathering around Mulder and laying their hands on him one after another. Pretty soon, he'd forgotten any doubts he might have had about going through with this, and only two sentences occupied his mind: Kill the bitch. Save Samantha. He felt himself blank out, and came back only when he heard a familiar voice over the monotone chanting; "Mulder? What are you doing?", Scully said insecurely. She stood in the doorway, and the congregation reacted like a wolf-pack, throwing themselves at her, pulling and scratching. They dragged her to the altar, and strapped her to it. She screamed for Mulder, who did not so much as flinch. Once she was tightly secured, he walked over to her, leaned in, and hissed in her ear; "I'm going to cut you up and eat the pieces, my darling..." Mulder stroked Scully's hair gently, and actually smiled at her. But there was nothing comforting or friendly in the smile, Scully thought it made him look like a wolf too, just like the pack, he didn't look like Mulder anymore. "Mulder... whatever these people told you, whatever you're thinking right now, please listen to me. I've just seen us..." Mulder interrupted her; "SHUT UP! I don't want to hear another word out of your dirty, lying mouth!" He turned to Hezekiel Natas; "Can we gag her please?" Natas nodded, and made a sign to one of his aides. The aide quickly fished a broad leather strap out from under the altar, and forced it into Scully's screaming mouth, tying it around her head. She can still make those pathetic "nnnggngn"-noises, but it's definitely an improvement, Mulder thought. Tears were now streaming down Scully's face. The worst thing is, I never got to tell him how beautiful our wedding was, she thought, and sobbed even harder. The chanting began again, louder this time, more determined, and the congregation formed a circle around the altar, leaving Mulder and Hezekiel Natas standing on either side of Scully. Natas began to pray, and the group joined in. Scully recognized the prayer. It was "Our Father" backwards, and it made her skin crawl. * * * * * * * November 21 1996, 10.51 p.m. Phonebooth Off I-75 Outside Rome, Georgia Marcus Henley had never been so scared in his entire life. He had acted against His will, and those who acted against His will rarely lived to tell about it. But he had to do it. Tonight, after crawling out from the deep pit where he'd spent the last three days or so, it had all become so clear to him. Mariah would continue to be dead, nothing could change that, but maybe he could save the FBI-agents, and thus atone for the horrible acts he had committed before. Hezekiel Natas had no idea he knew about the phonecall from the cigarette-smoking bastard in Washington, but he had listened in on it, it was just before the hospital people came for him. Natas' weakness has always been that he thinks he's so much smarter than everyone else. Well, not this time pal, Henley thought. Natas wasn't the only person with connections in DC, Henley knew someone who had power too. What he didn't have, was his telephone number. It had been ages since he saw his old Marine-buddy, and any number he might have had would be out of date anyway. He thought about this for a moment, and then decided that if Mohammed can't come to the mountain, then the mountain darn well better come to Mohammed. He pressed zero on the dialing pad. "Operator, how may I help you?", said a chirpy female voice. "Ehh... I want to make a collect call, but I don't know the number..?", he felt so stupid saying that, but at times like this you had to put personal embarrassment aside, he figured. "What area code is that, sir?", the voice chirped. "It's Washington DC, the name is Walter Skinner." Silence followed, and then the chirp announced; "We have 346 persons by that name in the larger Washington area, sir..." Shit. He might have known. "Mhm. Well, this one works for the FBI. He's an assistant director, I believe." A minute or so later, the chirp came back, chirpier than ever; "I found one Walter Skinner, 1685 Alameda Avenue, assistant director at the FBI. Would you like me to put you through?" Henley felt genuine joy, probably for the first time since Reagan was in office; "Yes. Please do so, thank you. My name is Nafu. Mr. S.Nafu." He listened as the operator asked Walter Skinner if he would accept a collect phone call from mr. S.Nafu, and he giggled inside when he heard Walter say yes. Explaining the situation to Walter wasn't as difficult as Henley thought it would be, the second he mentioned the names of the agents in danger, Walter seemed to accept any and all things he told him, no matter how weird. The conversation ended abruptly, time was short and mr. Skinner had to get his troops moving right away, Henley made that very clear, or he could look forward to debriefing his two favorite agents in the morgue. Walter Skinner sounded very much like Dick Tracy, when he finished off by saying; "I'm on my way." Part six: Absolution To conquer yourself is to conquer your mightiest enemy Kristina (1626-89), Queen of Sweden November 21 1996, 11.31 p.m. Thursday Temple of the Beast Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia "...eman yht eb dewollah, nevaeh ni era ohw rehtaf ruo.", the prayer ended where it should have started. Now Scully only had twenty-nine minutes left to live, and she had no idea what to do about it. If the purpose of her seeing her own marriage to Mulder was that she radiate love, thus fighting the evil possessing Mulder, then the vision had failed miserably. Maybe I'm just supposed to die happy, she thought. Because even though she was essentially lying on the slab, waiting for the butcher to go to work on her, she wasn't afraid. She felt completely calm, still strengthened by the vision. But to try to stop the people performing the Rites on her, to try to stop Mulder, by thinking nice thoughts, was like trying to stop a speeding freight train by placing a flower on the rails. , she heard her sister's voice in her head. Oh, Missy, Scully thought, where are you? I sure could use your help now! Scully thought about this for a moment, and then decided her sister was right. Unable to move, even her head was fastened to that hateful bench, they still couldn't stop her from thinking. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. It wasn't easy, the chanting and strange praying had risen to a crescendo of voices, but Scully mobilized every shred of strength from within, and slowly, she felt a warm wave of love fill her up. No matter what you do... I will always love you, she thought as she opened her eyes and stared into Mulder's. He was holding the big knife over her heart, the blade almost touching her. She kept repeating the thought, over and over until he twitched and his eyes fluttered slightly. He squinted and leaned down, as if he was trying to see who it was lying on the altar. Scully could see that it was him again, Fox Mulder, and not the strange evil zombie from a moment ago. Their eyes were locked on one another, and finally Mulder whispered; "Dana...?", still trying to establish that it was really her. Scully's eyes smiled back at him; Yes, yes it's =me=, remember - your partner! Mulder nodded and started to unfasten the gag in Scully's mouth, but now, Hezekiel Natas started to notice that something was wrong with his newest disciple, and that he wasn't the obedient servant anymore. "Mr. Mulder, what are you doing?", he asked, his voice sharp and cautioning. "Freeing my partner, mr. Natas.", Mulder replied, "This is wrong and you know it." Hezekiel Natas decided it was time to play the ace he had up his sleeve. "Is it? I bet your sister doesn't think so. According to the contract you signed, not only your soul belongs to us, but your sister's as well. If you don't make the sacrifice, that is." Mulder's eyes widened - oh God, what had he done? Scully, now free of the gag, sensed Mulder's fear and confusion immediately; "Mulder... listen to me, whatever he told you, whatever you think is going to happen to you or your sister, it's a lie, it's... Mulder?" Mulder turned from Natas to Scully again, and much to her dismay, the zombie-Mulder was back. "You little cunt", he said, "you almost made me forget! You cast a spell on me, just like you've been doing for the last four years, making me forget what's what! Well, not this time! This time you're gonna pay for what you've done, you little traitor!" Scully took a deep breath; Lord Almighty, help me find the strength to fight this. "I am no traitor, you should know that by now." She swallowed and took the inevitable plunge; "I love you. I could never do anything to hurt you, and I was hoping that you felt the same way about me." Mulder was taken by surprise for a moment, he stood like a statue, his mouth gaping. But after the initial shock, he rebounded; "Yeah, right. I knew you were gonna say that! I'm sure you think about me every time you hump Skinner, every time you ridicule and backtalk me, I'm sure that you do that because you're so in love with me!" Scully now began to realize that the vision Mulder had experienced must have been the opposite of her own. "What ever you think you saw, it was a =lie=, you must understand that! I wouldn't sleep with Skinner if my life depended on it!" Mulder smiled smugly; "And I'm supposed to believe that? I =saw= you! I saw him feeling you up, and you didn't seem to mind it one bit!" Now Scully was beginning to get frustrated, how the hell could he believe something so ridiculous? "Oh, yeah? Well, I saw you and me get married, and that certainly doesn't seem probable right now, does it?" Again, Mulder was speechless, his lower lip trembling slightly and his eyelids fluttering. Hezekiel Natas sensed that this was his last chance to retain the agent; "Let's just put the gag back on miss Scully and continue with the Rites. Every word out of her mouth is obviously a lie, and you'd be better off if you didn't have to listen to her, mr. Mulder." Natas couldn't see Mulder's face from where he was standing, but Scully could. She could see that he was back once more. Mulder stared at the knife in his hands, and then back at Scully. He smiled faintly and then swerved around and grabbed mr. Natas, putting the knife to his throat. "Okay, now's your chance to do yourself some good. Tell me where Samantha is." Hezekiel Natas looked really scared now, no one in the congregation had ever seen him look like this before. "I'm... I... I can't... you're still bound by the contract mr. Mulder.", he hissed. A couple of men, true faithfuls, tried to jump up and free their leader, but Mulder saw them coming. He used the reverend as a shield, and pressed the knife even harder to Natas' throat, yelling; "You try anything I swear to God you'll be standing knee-deep in his blood!" The men retreated, and Mulder ceased this moment of temporary confusion to cut Scully's restraints, the knife slicing the leather that held her down like a sword in warm butter. Like a cat, Scully flew to her feet in one single movement. And like Lucky Luke, she seemed to draw her gun faster than her own shadow, pointing it at the congregation. "We're going to take this nice and slow.", she said. "Agent Mulder and I are going to walk out of here, with the reverend, and you people are going to stand here until we are on the other side of that tunnel. You will sing "The Star Spangled Banner" =loudly= until the police get here, or your beloved reverend is a goner, understand?" Scully looked back at Mulder, who nodded to her, and then started dragging Natas down the aisle of the Temple. Scully walked backwards behind them, still pointing her gun at the congregation; "I don't hear any singing?" she said cheerfully, it felt really good giving these assholes a dose of their own medicine - fear and humiliation. A mumbling was heard, and then the first few words of the national anthem of the USA. Mulder, Natas, and Scully were at the doors now, and Scully shouted; "What's that? I can't hear you! Come on, show us that you're good Americans!" The decibel level rose, and Scully slammed the doors shut and bolted them from the outside. There, you fucks, try to get out of this one, she thought. * * * * * * * November 21 1996, 11.51 p.m. Military helicopter Above Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia Nine minutes until the fireworks start, Skinner thought. How am I going to get them out in nine minutes, if what Henley told me about the tunnel is true, it will take at least fifteen minutes to =run= through it, there's just no way I can get them out in time... The A.D. had started his sudden journey to Georgia thinking that his mission was to save Mulder and Scully from bumping each other off, but now he knew something his old Vietnam-buddy Henley hadn't. The entire section of the mountain that Mulder and Scully were currently in was set for erasure at 00.00 hours. Courtesy of their favorite smoker, of course. Skinner had found this out when he made transport arrangements, another old military friend, a general actually, had warned him and first tried to stop him, but had eventually helped him, and thank God for that. Getting from Washington DC to north Georgia in an hour proved difficult, but not impossible, thanks to his connections. "Sir, we're ready to touch down.", the navigator told him. Skinner nodded, and the helicopter started to make its descent on the riverbank. As soon as they'd landed, Skinner leaped out and started running toward the tunnel entrance, which was surrounded with burning torches. Six minutes left. They'd all fry. But just when he was beginning to despair, he saw something moving in the opening. It was Mulder, and he hauled somebody else out of there with him, a middle-aged man. Scully followed right behind them. "MULDER!!!", Skinner shouted, but Mulder couldn't hear him over the noise that the helicopter made. It seemed like an eternity before he finally got there, but in reality it probably wasn't more than ten seconds. "Sir??? What are you doing here?", Scully asked, surprised. Mulder didn't look altogether happy about seeing his boss, but he didn't say anything. "We have to get out of here =right now=. This whole place is gonna blow in about five minutes!", Skinner replied, waving to them to come with him. "But... but ...but there are people still in there, I.... I locked them in!", Scully stuttered. Skinner shrugged; "There's nothing you can do for them now, agent Scully, we don't have time to go in and get them, =now come on=!" Skinner helped Mulder with Hezekiel Natas, who seemed to be a bit out of it, his gaze empty and his body limp, as the two men carried him to the helicopter. Scully followed hesitantly. They left the ground at 11.58 p.m., and sure enough, two minutes after that the sky lit up behind them when the bomb went off. Splinters and sand and gravel hit the helicopter, making a sound that reminded of heavy rainfall. Mulder and Scully, who sat with Hezekiel Natas between them, looked at each other. Their eyes were filled with sympathy for the other. Mulder knew that locking those people in was something Scully would have to live with for the rest of her life, and Scully knew that almost killing her was something Mulder would have to live with for the rest of his life. Mulder reached out his hand and stroked Scully's cheek, and she felt her eyes fill up with tears. Suddenly, the former reverend of the Temple of the Beast, Hezekiel Natas, started to shake violently. Foam was coming out of his mouth, and sweat was oozing out of his body. "He's having a heart attack!", Scully yelled. She tried to give mr. Natas CPR and other medical attention, but it was no good. His face was turning blue. He grabbed Mulder's lapels, and drew him down close, hissing; "Remember the contract, mr. Mulder, the contract... is still valid..." Mulder's left eyebrow went up; "Oh, yeah? And just what contract is that, mr. Natas? I believe there is no contract anymore, as of about three minutes ago." When he heard this, mr. Natas died. Mulder had tried to question him about Samantha when they were getting out of the mountain, but to no avail. Now he would never know how much this man had actually known about his sister. It didn't seem to matter as much now, strangely enough. An hour ago it had been the only thing in the world he cared about. Out of all the strange X-files they'd worked on, this had by far been the most strange ever, in many ways. Scully had told him that she loved him. That probably topped everything he'd heard so far. Wouldn't you tell the Elephant Man you love him if your life depended on it?, a voice said in his head. She did it to prevent you from killing her, you cretin, the voice added. I know, he thought, I know it all too well. Fox Mulder stared out into the Georgia fall night and swallowed a lump in his throat. Scully couldn't say she was sorry she hadn't been able to resuscitate Hezekiel Natas. The guy was a monster, and he probably would have ended up on death row anyway. But she was concerned about Mulder. Everytime some clown showed up and started telling him he had information about Samantha, he got his hopes up, and Scully knew he would only be able to take so many disappointments. Also, there was the matter of what she had told him in the Temple. She'd told him she loved him. Which was true of course, but how would he react to it, how would he handle =knowing=? Prepare for humiliation and rejection, Dana, a voice said in her head. He likes you, and he's not a murderer, that's why you're not dead, not because you make his heart sing or anything like that... Dana Scully stared out into the Georgia fall night and swallowed a lump in her throat. Just then, she felt a hand gently folding over her own and grasping it. She looked at Mulder, there was no one between them now that Natas had croaked and been dispatched to the floor. Mulder's eyes were so full of regret and sorrow, it felt like her heart was run through by a spear to look at him. Scully's lower lip started shivering, and then the tears came. She cried as she had only cried in his presence once before - after he saved her from Donnie Pfaster. And like then, Mulder now drew her close, embracing her with his long arms and covering her with his body. Part seven: Fear The memory of a happiness is no longer happiness The memory of a pain is always pain Lord Byron November 22 1996, 5.08 p.m. Friday Washington DC I can't believe I slept all day, was Dana Scully's first thought when she awoke. After what she'd been through the last 24 hours, she supposed it really wasn't that strange if she was tired, but she still didn't like sleeping this late, it felt wrong, sinful some how. She was taught that productive, useful people got up at 6.00 a.m., no matter what. She went into the kitchen to make something to eat - her stomach was screaming for food, but just as she was scanning her refrigerator, the doorbell rang. She knew who it was. But was she up to facing him already? The doorbell rang again , an incredibly annoying sound right now. "I guess I don't have much choice", she said to herself as she went to answer it. "You look even worse than I do, that's encouraging", she said to Mulder when she opened the door. He looked morosely at her and nodded, then slid by her into the living room. Scully noticed that he was packing a brown paper bag, and she had a pretty good idea what was in it, too. Oh, well, so much for milk and cookies, she thought and followed him. "Would you mind getting us a couple of glasses, Scully?", he asked as he pulled the gallon-sized vodka bottle out of the bag. Scully sighed; "Mulder... I could use a lot of things right now, but I'm not sure vodka is one of them..." Mulder raised his right eyebrow and replied with a feisty smile: "Will you just trust me on this, Scully... I know what you need, okay? You wouldn't happen to have any orange juice, would you?" Two minutes later they sat in total silence on Scully's couch drinking Screwdrivers. It's funny, how it relaxes you, Scully thought. Even after just two sips she felt her body ease back and her mind wander. And she felt the way Mulder was looking at her. Had he been drinking before he got here? She didn't think so, but there was definitely something different about him, he seemed more relaxed and open, she could tell even though he wasn't talking. He was looking at her, looking into her eyes, in a way she wasn't used to. Normally, he would always look away fairly quickly when she looked at him, but not today. Now he sat calmly watching her, a hint of a smile on his lips. You know he's here to make sure you didn't =mean= what you said in the Temple, the Mean Voice in Scully's head said. But Scully didn't trust it anymore. Like most cynics, she had a tendency to believe bad over good, but even a person in an astronaut outfit would have felt the heat that Mulder was radiating. At first it was nice, just sitting there, but after a few minutes it started to make Scully nervous. "What are you doing?", she asked impatiently, "Why did you come here? You can't just show up at my apartment and then sit here and say nothing, looking like some goddam apostle of love, and then not =say= anything, you know what - I'm tired of you never telling me anything, I want to know - what do you want?" Mulder swigged what was left of his drink, put the glass on the table, and turned to Scully, his gaze piercing her, and said; "Tell you what... I'm tired of that too. I was planning to pretend that my reason for coming here was to tell you that your favorite twins, the Donell brothers, were found in their home by the State Troopers. They were gagged and bound, and a little dehydrated, but otherwise allright. I thought that ought to cheer you up?" Scully nodded slowly, but remained silent, waiting for Mulder to make the next move. He broke the eye contact, got up and walked over to the window, looking out onto the street as he continued; "...But I'm going to tell you the truth. I came here to thank you for saving me. And to tell you that the reason I acted like I did was that... ...I don't think I've realized how much I... care about you until I saw... that... you know, that vision I had... And even though there's no excuse for what I did, and I'm sure you're gonna wanna get as far away from me as possible... I've come to realize... that you are the only one, Scully... you make everything else seem trite..." He turned around to check her reaction, his eyes pleading her to go easy on him. Scully was still silent, her eyes went from Mulder to the floor and back again, as if she was trying to think of a reply to Mulder's unfathomable statement. "You know I won't hold it against you if you never want to see me again", he added. Scully grabbed the huge vodka bottle and downed a huge gulp from it, then put it carefully back on the table. She got up, and slowly walked toward Mulder until they stood face to face, almost touching each other. "You must be the biggest schmuck on earth", she said, smiling. Mulder felt a chill down his spine. "What did you say?", he asked and drew back. "I said you are probably the most dense person I have ever met. Do you honestly think I want you to go =away= after everything we've gone through together? Did it ever occur to you that what happened in the Temple was you =and= me defeating evil, and not just me?" She used those exact words when I saw her with Skinner, Mulder thought; <...he must be the biggest schmuck on earth>, that's what she said. Does that mean something? Is it a sign? , Samantha said in his head, "Mulder? Are you listening to me?", Scully asked, and reached out to touch him. Mulder shook his head and walked over to the couch again. He sat down and poured himself another drink, consisting of about 90 percent vodka, emptied the glass at once and then poured them both new drinks. "C'm 'ere, Schkully...", he was slurring a bit now, "I have to ask you something..." Scully obeyed him reluctantly, and sat down beside him, as close as she dared. "I was just wondering", Mulder continued, "if it means anything at all to you that I just told you that I love you?" Scully smiled her softest smile; "Did you? That's funny, I don't remember hearing you say that..." You don't get off that easy, she thought. Mulder laughed a little, and as if he'd read her mind, said; "You won't let me off the hook that easy, huh? Okay, let me put it like this instead..." In one smooth movement, Mulder grabbed hold of Scully's arms, pushed her down on the couch underneath him, and kissed her. He was well aware he was taking a chance here, not all women appreciate this type of thing, but if his intuition was any good at all, Scully was one of those who did. She answered the kiss without hesitation, he could feel her body trembling under him, and she let out a deep moan into his mouth. Mulder's hands closed around Scully's wrists, pinning her arms down, as he moved his mouth to her neck. Scully was wearing a very exclusive silk pajamas, her favorite, but she didn't object when Mulder ripped the top open with his teeth, and sent the buttons flying. As a matter of fact, she was at this moment unable to understand how or why she had ever objected to anything he said or did. Scully wasn't wearing a bra, a that suited Mulder just fine, now all he had to do was get her pants off and they'd be in business... He paused for a moment to enjoy the most glorious view he ever beheld. Scully looked a tad uneasy suddenly, why was he staring at her breasts like he'd never seen a woman before? Maybe he thought they were ugly? Too small perhaps? Mulder looked up at her again, smiling. He could tell that she was caught in that ever-present female doubt of her own body's adequacy. "You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.", he said. Scully smiled at him. "Prove it.", she whispered, feeling a warm wave wash over her. Mulder started kissing her left breast softly, slowly working his way toward the nipple. When his luscious, full, wet lips closed around it, Scully let out a deep, loud moan. Without even knowing it, she parted her legs a bit more, and Mulder's hand accepted the invitation immediately, his long fingers gently caressing her through the thin fabric of her pajama pants. Since Scully wasn't wearing any panties underneath, Mulder could now feel how wet she was already. He rubbed his fingers in the wetness for a little while, and her hips soon met his strokes, pressing against his hand. And suddenly, he knew that if he wasn't inside her in ten seconds, he was going to come in his pants. Mulder flew to his feet, ripped his shirt off, and began fumbling frantically with his belt and 501's, with limited success. Scully giggled a little, but he gave her a stern look, which made her come to his rescue. Methodically she unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his fly and slid his pants, boxers and socks off. Next thing Mulder knew, he was lying on the couch with Scully sitting on top of him. Somehow she'd managed to remove her own pants in the process, and... =ooohhhh=... she came down on him slowly, more... and more... until he was completely inside her, and it felt like being born or dying or something he'd never expected to be allowed to feel with her but here they were and he loved her so much he could swear it would drive him insane oh God oh God oh God.... Scully leaned down to his ear and whispered; "How do you feel... tell me..." But when she looked in his eyes, she realized he wouldn't be able to answer. So she increased the pace instead, riding him a little faster, a little harder, and he followed her rhythm, holding her buttocks firmly in his big hands. It didn't take very long before they both tipped over the edge, Mulder held back his own orgasm with all the willpower he could muster, until he felt Scully's body starting to convulse, allowing him to let go and follow her into oblivion. They shifted into spoon position, Scully grabbed the blanket that hung on the side of the couch, and spread it over them. Savoring the moment, they lay like that for a while, until Mulder broke the silence. "That sure beat the hell out of any dream, I can tell you that, Scully. You keep this up, and I think I'm gonna have to marry you." Scully turned her head slowly, and to her surprise found that he looked totally serious. He =had= dreamt about her, just like Melissa told her! So maybe Missy had been right about it not being a regular dream, maybe they had already... met... so to speak... And the vision... "And I suppose you want to marry me in S:t Patrick's, too? Hundreds of guests, the whole enchillada?", she said skeptically. Mulder laughed. "Why not? I bet Skinner would love to give you away, once he's recovered from the heartattack he's gonna get when we tell him." Every single body hair on Scully's body now stood straight up. This was a little too uncanny for her taste. Mulder felt her shivering; "Hey... don't be afraid...", he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "... whatever you saw in the mountain was =good=, it's nothing to be afraid of. Your experience was different from mine, it was the light, the good side." Scully still looked worried, so Mulder decided to fill her in on the legend he had read about, the legend of The Eternal Flame. As he calmly recited the tale of Ashu and Nisha to Scully, he felt her relax in his arms. When he was finished, she looked up at him and said; "Okay. I'll marry you. But I guess I better keep from getting you jealous, or you might try to sacrifice me to the Devil again." They laughed, long and hard, and then drifted off to a dreamless sleep. * * * * * * * February 24 1997, 12.03 p.m. Saturday S:t Patrick's Cathedral New York City, New York Fox Mulder was nervous. His palms were sweaty, the tux uncomfortable, and were the hell was Dana? Three minutes late, maybe she'd changed her mind? Nobody could blame her if she had, least of all him. She must be out of her mind, marrying a guy who tried to kill her. Which reminds me, he thought. He looked up, focused his gaze on the empty space to the left of the altar, and smiled. I can't see you, sweetheart, but I know you're here. I love you Dana. You have to be the believer this time, my darling, he thought, and winked at the space as he stood up to the sound of the Wedding March. He looked at his future wife, who now walked down the aisle with Walter Skinner. What on earth made me believe for a second that they betrayed me? They both saved my butt, not just this last time but dozens of times before that. What was it that was so appealing about the darkness that I entered by believing what I saw? Mulder's mind wandered for a few seconds, and suddenly he remembered that guy who had called Skinner and alerted him to their situation. Henley, Marcus Henley, that was his name. Apparently, a telephone pole had fallen on his car and crushed him as he was trying to get back to Aintry. He died instantly. Now, telephone poles didn't fall down by themselves, but no satisfactory explanation as to why this one had could be found. I know now, Mulder thought. I think I finally understand. The Eternal Flame is a fire consisting of many things, all of them desirable and alluring. But if you let your fears control you, the flames will ultimately consume you. With that, Fox Mulder closed the book on The Eternal Flame indefinitely, and turned to his bride with a wide smile. THE END